JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA 32:1768–1776 (November 15, 2015) ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/neu.2014.3822
Age at First Exposure to Football Is Associated with Altered Corpus Callosum White Matter Microstructure in Former Professional Football Players Julie M. Stamm,1–3 Inga K. Koerte,3,4 Marc Muehlmann,3,4 Ofer Pasternak,3,15 Alexandra P. Bourlas,1,5 Christine M. Baugh,1,6 Michelle Y. Giwerc,3 Anni Zhu,3 Michael J. Coleman,3 Sylvain Bouix,3 Nathan G. Fritts,1 Brett M. Martin,7 Christine Chaisson,1,5,7,8 Michael D. McClean,9 Alexander P. Lin,3,10 Robert C. Cantu,1,11–13 Yorghos Tripodis,1,5,8 Robert A. Stern,1,2,5,11,14,* and Martha E. Shenton 3,15,16,*
Abstract
Youth football players may incur hundreds of repetitive head impacts (RHI) in one season. Our recent research suggests that exposure to RHI during a critical neurodevelopmental period prior to age 12 may lead to greater later-life mood, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Here, we examine the relationship between age of first exposure (AFE) to RHI through tackle football and later-life corpus callosum (CC) microstructure using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Forty retired National Football League (NFL) players, ages 40–65, were matched by age and divided into two groups based on their AFE to tackle football: before age 12 or at age 12 or older. Participants underwent DTI on a 3 Tesla Siemens (TIM-Verio) magnet. The whole CC and five subregions were defined and seeded using deterministic tractography. Dependent measures were fractional anisotropy (FA), trace, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. Results showed that former NFL players in the AFE
Age at First Exposure to Football Is Associated with Altered Corpus Callosum White Matter Microstructure in Former Professional Football Players Julie M. Stamm,1–3 Inga K. Koerte,3,4 Marc Muehlmann,3,4 Ofer Pasternak,3,15 Alexandra P. Bourlas,1,5 Christine M. Baugh,1,6 Michelle Y. Giwerc,3 Anni Zhu,3 Michael J. Coleman,3 Sylvain Bouix,3 Nathan G. Fritts,1 Brett M. Martin,7 Christine Chaisson,1,5,7,8 Michael D. McClean,9 Alexander P. Lin,3,10 Robert C. Cantu,1,11–13 Yorghos Tripodis,1,5,8 Robert A. Stern,1,2,5,11,14,* and Martha E. Shenton 3,15,16,*
Abstract
Youth football players may incur hundreds of repetitive head impacts (RHI) in one season. Our recent research suggests that exposure to RHI during a critical neurodevelopmental period prior to age 12 may lead to greater later-life mood, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Here, we examine the relationship between age of first exposure (AFE) to RHI through tackle football and later-life corpus callosum (CC) microstructure using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Forty retired National Football League (NFL) players, ages 40–65, were matched by age and divided into two groups based on their AFE to tackle football: before age 12 or at age 12 or older. Participants underwent DTI on a 3 Tesla Siemens (TIM-Verio) magnet. The whole CC and five subregions were defined and seeded using deterministic tractography. Dependent measures were fractional anisotropy (FA), trace, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. Results showed that former NFL players in the AFE
